Dancing in July
by lizzybennettdarcy
Summary: Cassie expects excellence and Rachel is more than capable of it. If only she knew it. A simple dance challenges everything Rachel believes and leads her to something infinitely greater. Some swearing and implied sexuality.
1. Cassie

**I'd like to start by saying that this story was written several months ago and forgotten about. Given recent events I've been struggling over whether or not I should post it to the site. It's more than likely that some of the ideas in this fic will offend readers and if that's the case I'll gladly remove it. I decided to post it because to be honest it's one of my favourites, borne from my joint love of Glee and dance. Please let me know if you're offended by this story. I really hope that people enjoy this because I feel like under other circumstances, people would. This story is in no way a slight to Finn, or Cory. I just never really believed Finchel as a couple.**

**I own nothing.**

* * *

Cassandra tapped her dancing stick in time with the music and studied the dancers in front of her _very _carefully. Technically speaking, many of them were almost perfect. Rachel Berry's lines were incredible yet she always seemed to lack _something. _It frustrated her to no end to see such talent just _wasted. _

"Schwimmer!" She growled above the music and the class stilled as one. They'd been in this class for over six months and they had come to expect her harsh words and criticisms of the tiny brunette. She'd bet her beautiful loft in Soho that none of them knew _why _she was so hard on the girl.

"Yes Miss July?" Rachel asked patiently, her hands fisted behind her back.

"Not good enough. Not nearly good enough. Tell me what you did wrong." Cassie demanded, circling her student.

Rachel bit her lip to keep from uttering the words that matched the fire in her eyes.

_That _was more like it. Rachel was silent as she considered what she might have done wrong. Cassandra sighed and signalled for her assistant to start the music once more. She tossed her stick aside and began to move through the choreography herself. The class watched as she twisted and threw herself through the air, spinning gracefully to a stop in front of Rachel.

Cassie regarded the girl in front of her as she caught her breath. The class was applauding her performance but she ignored them as Rachel withstood her scrutiny.

"What was different about my performance?" She asked her student.

Rachel raised her chin. "I don't know."

Cassie ground her teeth in frustration and she heard the class gasp in sync. She turned her back on the girl and faced the rest of the class.

"You've all been working on the contemporary duet I've given you. Two pairs at a time. Now! Schwimmer you're last."

She stood back and leaned against the wall as her students performed the dance she'd set them a week before. The piece was easily one of her best and it certainly meant a lot to her. When people heard her name they instantly thought that her Broadway failure was the worst thing that had ever happened to her. Perhaps the only secret ever kept on Broadway was the reason behind her disaster of a career ending show. Her high school sweetheart of seven years had died suddenly the day of her big performance. She'd been numb as she dropped the phone and rushed out to the stage. The feelings of a thousand eyes on her had snapped her out of her shock and she'd had a very public meltdown as the grief wrecked her.

Tears threatened as she watched her dancers perform a piece of her story; the first dance she'd ever been able to base around the moment she'd gotten the call. The couple closest to her had certainly tapped into the emotion of the piece. The girl was openly crying as she clutched after the boy who was floating away from her.

She watched on a loop, numbness overtaking her as her students relived a story they didn't know was her own. She'd simply told them a story of young lovers who were torn apart too soon, a tragedy that she expected them to connect with in some way. They'd been told that their success in this class depended on how well they performed this piece. The music started one last time and Rachel and her partner Alex stepped to the middle of the room alone. They moved together as all the others had. They had clearly worked very hard on the piece together as their movements were effortless. Alex lifted her with great strength and Rachel's body was beautiful as it twisted in the air. Cassie's numbness gave way to a fury that crawled through her veins as she watched the performance.

She'd heard this stupid little girl speak about 'true love' more times than she could count. Cassie had handed her the perfect dance to display her phenomenal talent, a dance so personal that it felt like little knives were stabbing Cassie's heart; and Rachel was _fucking _it up.

The room was quiet and the dancers had gone still. Cassie bit back a furious retort and took a breath. "Mediocre. You have one week to improve before I decide on your final mark. Schwimmer, stay behind. Class is dismissed."

Cassie turned her back on the group and walked towards the window. Her temper was sizzling beneath her skin and she was feeling out of control. Her students, she was sure would say that they'd seen her lose her temper. What they had _seen _over the years was a practiced cruelty that was coolly delivered. Rachel Berry was threatening that.

"Miss July?" Her voice was timid as she interrupted Cassie's musings.

Cassie turned around and glanced around the room, ensuring it was empty. They were alone when she finally glared at the girl before her. It was moments like this where she wondered just why the hell she thought that Rachel Berry could be a star.

"Why are you at NYADA Schwimmer?" She asked with no small amount of sarcasm.

"I'm here to learn from the best. To do everything I can to make it to Broadway." Rachel announced.

Cassie bit back a laugh of derision at the well-practiced line.

"You'll never make it to Broadway when you dance like that." Cassie shot back and Rachel winced before raising her chin.

"I can out-sing any one of my classmates. I won the Winter Showcase!" She argued and this time Cassie did laugh.

"I don't care if you can outsing Barbra and Idina themselves. You dance like that in an audition and you'll get laughed off the stage."

Rachel huffed and Cassie bit back a smile. She liked the girl despite herself sometimes.

"I'm a fantastic dancer! How can I get better if you won't tell me what you think I'm doing wrong?"

Cassie felt her good humour vanish. "What I _think _you're doing wrong?" She growled and Rachel took a step back. "I never said you weren't a good dancer technically. Your lines have improved but you lack the most important facet of performance."

Rachel's face was a mask of confusion and Cassandra finally had her attention.

"Where's the emotion?" She raised a hand as Rachel rushed to defend herself. "I'm not talking about crocodile tears when you sing Berry. I'm not interested in how great you are at singing. I'm a _dance _instructor."

Rachel nodded, properly chastised.

"You can cry all you want during a dance routine and it won't mean shit. When you move I need to _feel _what you are dancing about. You know what I feel when you dance Schwimmer? Literally _nothing._" She snapped.

Rachel's face was thoughtful and Cassie sighed. "I just gave you choreography that you can more than handle. I gave you enough of a back story that you should have been able to _emote." _She stopped and took a deep breath as sorrow raged and twisted in her belly. "Your body is a tool for storytelling. I want to feel every emotion and cry every tear that inspired the dance you're dancing when I see it. Do you understand Rachel? Do you finally _get _it?"

Rachel's eyes were wide and Cassie caught her slip up too late. She'd never called the girl by her first name but it seemed to have the desired effect.

"You said the dance was about two lovers who had to part ways too soon. You talked about love, heartbreak, longing and death." Rachel told her.

Cassie sighed and sat on the bench by the window. She wasn't sure why she felt compelled to fix this girl's mistakes. Any other student would have been out of her class. She was an instructor at fucking NYADA for God's sake. If they weren't perfect when they got here she had every right to fail them right off the bat.

"You've been in love Berry? Had a few boyfriends?"

Rachel nodded and smoothed down her dance skirt.

"Dancers draw on their own experience to tell other people's stories through dance. You need to find a way to connect with what this dance is expressing. You need to think about one of these guys and draw on that. Draw on how losing that person would feel." Cassandra found herself almost pleading with the girl.

"I have been doing that!" Rachel snapped, stomping her foot in frustration.

"Who have you been thinking about?" Cassie wondered, ignoring the mini tantrum.

"My ex-boyfriend Finn Hudson." Rachel breathed out dreamily and Cassie rolled her eyes.

"You think of this boy whenever you're dancing in my class?" Cassie clarified.

"Yes! For all of the pieces that concern love and happiness." Rachel explained happily.

Cassie smirked, happy to funny understand the problem. "Rachel, I don't care if you sing about this guy and picture him when you're acting in your theatre classes. I'm also not interested in helping you out with your love life. But from now on, in my class?" Cassie raised an eyebrow to make sure the girl was paying attention. "You need to draw on something stronger. If thinking about losing Finn isn't enough to get you through a dance like this than you need to think about something else, someone else. I don't care who it is."

"But, I love him! He's the love of my life!" Rachel declared sternly.

Cassie laughed. "You're 19 Schwimmer. Maybe you've met your "Soulmate" but I can assure you that this Finn guy is not it."

Rachel's eyes were popping in anger so Cassie decided to cut this conversation short.

"You have one week to figure this out Berry. There's gotta be somebody, a friend, another ex maybe. But there's gotta be somebody that you can't live without. Can you live without Finn Hudson? Yes, obviously."

Rachel turned on her heel and headed to the corner for her things. She reached the door before Cassie called after her. "Figure out who that person is Rachel or you're out. This piece means too much to me to watch you fucking butcher it again. And there are dancers who aren't as good as you who nailed the piece. Earn your spot here or pack your bags."

Rachel nodded primly and stomped out of the studio.

* * *

A week later Cassandra July was torn between smiling and crying as Rachel finally _connected_ with the dance and with her partner. She actually _believed _the love between Rachel and Alex. She _felt _the anguish and the despondence as Rachel's body crumpled in on itself as Alex lay still on the floor in her arms.

She didn't say a word as the class talked for a few moments before leaving for the afternoon. She watched as Rachel slowly gathered her things, hesitating by the door as if unsure whether to leave or not.

"Who is he?" Cassie asked gently as she carried her own things toward the door.

Rachel glanced at her over her shoulder. "Someone that I can't live without. I just forgot."

Cassandra felt a genuine smile overtaking her face and Rachel smiled back. "Well done Schwimmer."

"Thank you Miss July." Rachel whispered as she left. Cassie had the impression that Rachel was thanking her for much more than her words of acceptance.


	2. Puck

Puck launched himself face-first on his bed and let out a huff of exhaustion. The summer was had been a hot one so far and working construction outside certainly didn't help with the heat. His tan was golden and his biceps were stronger than ever but he was tired in a way he'd never been before. He was looking forward to a weekend spent lazing poolside at the Berry's house and not moving a damn muscle. He knew that Rachel was getting in today and he planned on making use of her pool this summer. His phone chirped from somewhere to his left and he grabbed blindly for it. It took him a moment to turn his head and glance at the screen.

**Noah, I was wondering if perhaps you could help me with a dance project this weekend? I know that dancing is really more in Michael's wheelhouse but I would prefer your help for this.**

Puck groaned and thought about telling her that he was busy. Yeah his only plans for the weekend had already been with her but _dancing _all weekend? His thumbs typed in a positive reply even as he tried to argue his way out of it with himself.

**Thank you very much! I'll breakfast prepared for 7 am tomorrow morning. Good night Noah!**

Fuck his life.

* * *

He knocked on her door with one fist as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes with the other. He had no idea how he'd managed to get his ass out of bed this morning and he didn't remember the drive over. His eyes widened at the thought and he peeked at the address beside the door to make sure he wasn't giving a stranger a rude awakening; no way anyone else in the world was awake right now.

The door flew open and Rachel threw herself at him in a tight hug. He felt her legs wrap around his waist and he smiled into her hair as his arms wrapped around her middle. She mumbling into his chest but he didn't catch any of it as he hugged her tiredly. He hadn't seen her since the 'Wedding that wasn't' and she'd been too busy being stupid about Finn to really catch up. She finally pulled back and found her feet, his hands falling to his sides. She was grinning up at him and fuck, if she wasn't still the prettiest thing around. Her hair was longer but those stupid highlights were gone and she was, Jesus, wearing one of those sexy little dance numbers. She giggled as he ogled her and he was embarrassed to note that his cheeks had heated slightly.

"Too early Berry." He growled but he had a hard time keeping up the scowl as she grinned up at him.

"Breakfast is on the table. You're exactly on time. Thank you!"

Her little hand wrapped around his (somehow) and pulled him into the house. He shut the door behind him and let her pull him into the kitchen. The aroma of breakfast hit him before his eyes found the pancakes and muffins on the table. He dropped into his seat without another word and devoured most of the food on the table. She picked at a muffin and some grapefruit as they ate in comfortable silence. He felt her eyes on him for most of the meal but she always replied with a 'nothing' whenever he asked her what she was doing.

It wasn't long before he found himself being dragged into her basement. He made a joke about how he was a little too full for her to have her wicked way with him at the moment. She rolled her eyes as she turned on the lights to the medium sized dance studio. She busied herself with the musical equipment as he took off his hoody and looked at himself in one of the floor to ceiling length mirrors. He figured that sweats and a muscle shirt would be best for whatever she had planned but he'd brought a pair of basketball shorts as well. He caught sight of her watching him in the mirror behind him and he smiled.

"So why am I here Berry?" He wondered, not unkindly as he turned to face her. "You mentioned Mike would probably be better and-"

"Mike has more dancing experience but I needed you for this one." She announced, cutting off his doubts.

"Finn busy?" He joked and she laughed.

He didn't know what the deal with the two of them was at the moment but he'd seen Finn "date" (read: nail) a bunch of girls when they roomed together this past semester at OSU so he figured they weren't exclusive. He also knew that Finn couldn't dance to save his life.

"Very funny Noah." She answered dryly. "This is a dance we worked on in class but my instructor had some criticisms and I'd like to perfect it."

He nodded and stepped up to the center of the room. He took a seat as she turned on the music and they stretched.

"It's a contemporary routine. I know you secretly love 'So You Think You Can Dance' so you probably have an idea of what I'm talking about."

He smiled. "Yeah, telling a story with your body and all that. They always cry when it's done super well."

Rachel beamed and he was a bit confused but he'd been dealing with her crazy too long to question it.

"This story is a powerful one, one I think might actually stem from my instructor's own life; not that I'm foolish enough to ask." She continued.

"What's the story?" He wondered as he stood up.

"Two young lovers are separated when the man dies suddenly. It explores the emotions through their courtship and then the way she feels about their tragic end." She answers, looking away from him.

The question was on his tongue when he stopped himself. She caught his hesitation though and shrugged like it wasn't a big deal.

"We're two hot jews right?" She said carelessly with an uncertain smile.

Puck's confusion was great as he nodded. She looked nervous and he hated it when she doubted herself.

"Let's do this."

She spent most of the morning teaching him his choreography. They stopped for a quick lunch with her fathers, who were very happy to see him. When they returned to the basement Rachel pulled out a DVD and played a video of her teacher performing the piece with her TA. Tears prickled at his eyes as he watched the dance for a second time. He was with Rachel on this one; her prof had definitely lived this one out. She was a beautiful blond and she moved with so much grace. Rachel had to play it five more times for him to really focus on the choreography that he was supposed to be learning.

The afternoon grew quite warm when the air conditioning could no longer keep their sweat-soaked bodies cool. She lost her leg warmers and he ended up in only his shorts as the dance started to come together. She complimented him constantly as they moved through the dance together. Her surprise at his skill was only rivalled by his own desire to do such the choreography justice. He was a musician, not a dancer but something about this _meant _too much to him to slack off.

He had the dance memorized by nightfall when they called it quits. He had a quick swim in her pool before he headed home for the night.

* * *

They started early again the next morning. They watched the DVD a few times before getting back to work. She corrected his form every once and a while but he didn't mind the way he had in school. He wasn't sure if it was the privacy or the actually dance itself but he wanted to be perfect.

The day passed quickly as they began to move more seamlessly. It was almost nightfall when Rachel declared that they were almost ready. He watched as she set up a video camera and played with the angles for a few moments. When she was finally satisfied she turned to face him and bit her lip.

"Miss July told me that I wasn't expressing the emotion of the piece. She said that I had to _feel _it. We've got the dance down and I'd really like to record." She wrung her hands for a moment before continuing. "We need to really feel the emotion of it all. I'd really like to use this as an audition piece for Funny Girl."

He nodded in awe. She wanted him to be a part of her audition. This was fucking huge. He got to his feet and kissed her forehead.

"Miss July said to think of someone you can't live without."

She pointed the remote at the camera and the light went red.

The music started as they came together. Their bodies moved as one, hands wandering deliberately. He fought to keep his eyes open as he lost himself in the dance with her. He bit back a smirk as he thought about what 15 year old Puck would say right now. It wouldn't matter that he was dancing half-naked with a hot chick who was even less clothed. He'd be even less impressed that Rachel Berry was the one person he couldn't live without, even if she didn't feel the same.

Puck caught Rachel as she threw herself into his arms before dropping to his knees, clutching his chest. She danced around him trying to fix the hurt as he moved further and further from her reach. When they finally came together again he fell to the floor, more gracefully than he'd thought he was capable of. She dropped to her knees and clutched him to her tightly. The tears streaming down her face hadn't been a part of the choreography but they mingled with his own just the same. His body went limp and she curled her body around his as the music ended.

He gazed up at Rachel who was still clutching him tightly. She was crying, her shoulders quaking as she continued to clutch at his arms. Her eyes were red even as they glared down into his fiercely. His fingers grasped blindly until he found the remote and he turned the camera off. His hand cupped her cheek, thumb wiping at her tears.

"Rach?"

Her cries were no longer silent as he sat up and she crawled into his lap. He whispered soothing words against her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder. He held her tightly as she cried herself out to his bewilderment. 15 year old Puck _definitely _wouldn't understand this one.

After a while her body stilled and her sobs quieted. He continued to hold her against his chest as she breathed slowly. Her hand reached between them and she rubbed at her eyes before she finally raised her head. Her eyes were puffy and her nose was red and she still somehow managed to look gorgeous. He shot her a crooked smile and she grinned back.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?" He asked when he was sure she wouldn't start crying again.

Rachel bit her lip and looked away from him. He sighed and grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Rach, you insisted it had to be me you danced with. I spent my weekend off dancing with you. You owe me an answer." He told her firmly.

"I'm not sure where to start." She told him slowly.

"Let's start with something easy then. Why me?"

Rachel smiled and shook her head. "Nothing about that question is easy."

He just stared at her and waited for something, _anything _to explain.

"When I first performed this piece my instructor pulled me back after class and told me it wasn't good enough. She said I didn't express anything and she didn't feel anything when I danced it." She placed a finger on his lips to stop him from arguing. "She was right Noah. We had a long, unexpected conversation that more or less called into question everything I believed. She pointed out to my horror, that thinking about Finn wasn't enough, that maybe I didn't love him enough."

She paused and Puck just stared at her, wondering if Miss July had survived that insinuation. "Well you obviously proved her wrong right?"

Rachel shook her head and stared into his eyes, as if searching for something. "No, she was right. She told me I needed to find someone I couldn't live without and focus on them. When I danced a week later she actually smiled."

Puck swallowed the lump that was suddenly in his throat. "Who?"

Rachel smiled widely and cupped his cheek. "You Noah. You."

He stared at her; slack jawed for a full minute before his lips crashed down on hers. She moaned as his tongue invaded her mouth. He pulled back and searched her face hungrily.

"Me?"

Rachel giggled and nodded. "Yes you Noah. I wanted to do this dance with you. I needed to dance this with you, not to confirm anything because I already knew how I felt. I just wanted to share this with you."

Puck was grateful for the soundproofed walls of the studio as they christened it in every which way, though neither of her fathers seemed surprised when they emerged later that night, sweaty and smiling with their hands linked.

The summer was the hottest on record and when it ended Puck followed his girl to New York. He moved into that too small loft with Santana, Kurt and Rachel. Rachel dragged him to her dance class the day she found out she'd gotten the part as Fanny Brice. She introduced him to her instructor Cassandra July before embarrassing the hell out of him by insisting her show the class their dance. His ears were red up until the moment the music started and then it was just him and his girl. The applause brought him back to his surroundings with a jolt. Rachel was joking with some classmates when Cassie pulled him aside.

He surveyed the Blonde woman and was surprised to see a wicked gleam in her eye as she grinned. "It's nice to finally meet you." She told him.

He raised an eyebrow and she smirked. "She was a dancer before. With you she's a fucking star. You make her better." She offered him her hand.

Puck smiled as he shook her hand. "We make each other better."

* * *

He shouldn't have been surprised that Cassie was sitting next to him on opening night of Funny Girl. She cheered louder than all of Rachel's friends put together. Three years later when Rachel accepted her Tony she thanked Puck for being her muse and the only love she couldn't live without. She then thanked her friends and family for always supporting before finally telling the crowd of the dance teacher who pushed her to her breaking point and made her the best dancer she could be.

They had twin girls when Puck was 32 and Rachel insisted on naming them Caroline and Cassandra. When the girls asked their mother where their names had come from she smiled and told them the story of the man she loved most and the woman who ultimately, accidently brought them together.


End file.
